Pavilion Café

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

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Users say
(27)

3 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

Even during busy times, when all of E9 seems to have dropped in to this park café, staff maintain their smiles and efficiency. Customers queue for food inside the small domed pavilion, then grab a seat (there are loads) looking out over the boating lake. The Pavilion is run by the people behind Elliot’s (see pxx) and the menu is a cut-above (though you can still get a tea for £1); own-made bread is also for sale. Interesting salads might be mackerel with beetroot, chicory and a (slightly overwhelming) horseradish dressing; doorstep sandwiches are the likes of salt beef with cucumber pickle and kolrabi coleslaw.

Brunch and breakfast items include eggs florentine, royale and benedict, bacon (with optional egg) sandwiches, and three variations on the fry-up. The veggie version is a pricey £9, and was pretty good (just-right spinach, mushroom and tomato, a neat fried egg on lovely sourdough, tasty bubble and squeak), but the own-made beans are an acquired taste. There are cakes and puddings too: milk chocolate and grapefruit pudding was a super moist chocolatey sponge, but had little citrus flavour. Drinks run from apple juice to Camden Town Brewery bottled beers.

Imagine a cafe where you feel part of a family. Where the staff and chefs are genuinely friendly, happy at work, and real foodies, passionate about where their ingredients come from. Who give you free leftover croissants and home baked focaccia, and Square Mile coffee on the house. Well, guess what. This little heaven….exists.I KNOW.

And, there’s more. The food is, well, on another level. Run by the guys behind Elliot’s cafe on Borough Market, you can tuck into a selection of THE best breakfasts, lunches, and coffees in East London.

Take your pick from beautifully presented handmade jam donuts and cakes baked by their in-house pastry chef, the best granola and yoghurt around, oak smoked chicken, bacon, or BBQ Pork shoulder sandwiches (sourced from Ginger Pig) served on bread baked by their own baker and generously drenched in garlic aeoli, delicious veggy and gluten free dishes, and cheese from Neals yard. Yum. Ee. Sip on freshly juiced organic smoothies, and Square Mile coffee made to perfection by rather attractive baristas (seriously, all the staff here seem to be beautiful. In a well-travelled way).

If this still isn’t enough to whet your appetite, how about the fact that the cafe is in a beautiful glass dome, with an open kitchen, plenty of big long wooden tables inside and out, overlooking the Japanese Pagoda and fountain on the boating lake in stunning Victoria park?

I and my husband have been to the pavilion cafe last Sunday because we saw it advertised on Timeout, google and tripadvisor. We spent two hours 'travelling' in the underground and busses to get to the place that is distant from the center of London and difficult to find.
When we arrived at the place 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the pavillion cafe was being closed by the people that work there! We said to them that it was written on the websites that it should be open till 5 o'clock in the afternoon but they simply said that they wanted to close it because it had been quite during the afternoon!!!
We were very upset and we could not believe that websites can advertise a place that does not demonstrate any consideration to the public that goes there trying to find out what is advertised on internet.
The workers that were constituted by some young girls and a young man laughed at our disappointment with the place.
It could not be worse.

If it's not for the delicious food, the quacking ducks on the pond or the happy, chilled out atmosphere, go because the staff are some of the nicest folk you'll ever meet.
If you get Dan as your Barista and you fancy a latte or capucinno, ask for an Indian chief head with a smile and you're sure to get one.
Nom nom nom nom.

I remember this place when it was a greasy spoon cafe...it had more charm back then. Okay - the food is very nice, but the trendy Shoreditch/Hackney'esque staff are too cool (or pretentious) for their own good. I mustn't generalise - some are very friendly and helpful - but a lot come across as slightly rude and judgmental. I asked for a soya latte and was told that they don't serve soya milk but "just good old fashioned cow's milk" - what if I was lactose intolerant? Or vegan? I would expect soya milk to be served in this kind of fashionable establishment (they're definitely missing a trick there) but I guess the management are so far up their own bottoms that they're only going to serve the kind of thing THEY would want in a cafe. I also didn't appreciate the critical tone from the hipster behind the counter. Also, as someone who holds the East End very dear to her heart, it saddens me that this cafe in lovely Vicky Park doesn't cater for the indigenous Londoners as well who were in the area long before the middle classes flocked there - the prices are high and the entire feel of the place evokes a David Cameron wet dream. I was shocked they even had HP sauce!

What a friendly and vibrant place to have my breakfast and a cup of good old english tea after a long walk in Victoria park. Staff is efficient and very helpful.
My mushroom sandwich and fresh pear juice was nothing less than truly delicious. They bake their own bread and it is super tasty, no added salt ( loaf is only £3.50) and vegetables are sourced from local farms.
I will be back again....lovely place

I recall The Pavillion when it served up weak instant cofee and greasy chips, yuk! It's new ownership was a breath of fresh air and the food excellent. However imho over the years it's success has been it's downfall. Now that they don't need to work to attract people there, there is a lack of caring about the customer or their needs. Children's high chairs are left outside mostly dirty. Staff are generally arrogant, nonchalant, although not directly rude. God forbid you say the dirty word "skimmed milk" or ask for anything "our of season", It's not that I mind that....It's more of a case of not what you say, but how your say it. No-one minds a restaurant confident in it's approach and ideals but how you present those can really effect how they are received. Sadly I doubt they really care :( However if you are happy in mugsville go ahead....

My wife asked for a decaf coffee and the guy at the counter (the guy with the nose ring) was such a jerk about it! I couldn't believe it! There are 2 cafes very nearby in Victoria Park Village (Loafing and Amandine cafe) walk for 2 minutes further and be treated with respect.

I visited Pavilion on the recommendation of a friend. I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian option. Nice organic ingredients, excellent bread and superb coffee.
Child friendly and nice atmosphere, will be returning.

Every time I visit Pavillion I discover something new and exciting: freshly baked bread, live music, new coffees to name a few. The friendly staff are always happy to help and are very knowledgeable about the sources of all of the cafe's products. It gets a bit crazy over the weekend, but the staff do a great job of maintaining a fun atmosphere and efficient service. Just the right balance of east-london-cool and high-end-standards Food is of the highest quality and the coffee is D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!!

I love this place, the few times I've been in it has been a really good experience!
My favourite flat white in town and the farmhouse breakfast is te closest to a hangover cure anyone could ever find! The location is super picturesque and unlike the past few reviews, I've never had anything but smiles and good service from the staff. Lots of my friends and family have gone and have loved it too! Anyways, thanks guys and see u soon :).

AWFUL staff. They obviously believe that due to their location, they can speak to people rudely? The "Milk pourer" actually raised his voice at my friend and I when we asked politely, if sugar could be added to our (expensive and small) coffee prior to the milk going in. The guy actually shouted! Your are pouring MILK dude, why you getting so angry?
Then I had the cheek to ask for skinny milk - anyone would have thought I had asked him to grow 2 heads. I then got lectured about why would I bother with Skinny milk, theres hardly any extra calories...blah blah blah. Er, I like the taste?
NEVER going back. Would never recommend. Food probably nice but I'm too scared to try it in case it will get launched at me by one of the grumpy staff.

Overrated, over-priced and awful/rude staff. I really don't see what all the fuss is about!? I won't be going back again after being spoken to badly on more than one occassion. It's a shame this place has so much potential and the prefect location. Never again, much better coffee can be found in the nearby Village.

I am afraid but this place brings some bad memories. The main reason for saying this is my uncomfortable experience with a member of staff who was quite unhelpful. I wouldn't dream asking for a glass of water or having a meal there! Shame as location is fantastic.

After our sons started at a school close by to the cafe in September, myself and another mum often come to this cafe for breakfast (mainly due to the location of the cafe, not the food-which i have to say mediocre and overpriced) with our younger children (under 2)... We were wholly disappointed by our treatment by the staff at the cafe today. Our children, unsurprisingly made quite a mess of the cafe's croissants underneath their high chairs... half way into our breakfast, staff (whom we now understand to be the owner/ manager) provided us with a dustpan and brush! He further went to offer us a tray 'to put our bits and bobs'. After the initial shock, we are absolutely disgusted that someone would be so rude. As far as i am aware, you pay to eat at restaurants and cafes, not only for the food, but also for the service. Never in my years of eating at a wide range of places (restaurants to canteens) with my children, have i ever experienced such blatant rudeness by management. As customers, we pay to eat, drink and have a nice conversation with friends. We do not pay to be treated like that, or do the job of paid staff! I can only hope the manager was having a bad morning and he does not treat any other customer like this.

I never write reviews but after being handed a dustpan and broom and told to clean up after myself I felt I had to share! I have an 18 month old baby and he had made a mess but it wasn't that bad. To add to the insult I was told to ask for a tray next time so we don't mess the table! Not a child friendly cafe and I won't be going back!

These guys have won the jackpot with location, whilst the quality of the ingredients is undoubtably amazing I sort of feel that the lone cafe in an East End park should be more inclusive and serve the community. The clientele are generally representative of an elite who can afford the prices. Bizarrely the guy who runs the place seems to have a real beef with mums and children- like the kids distract him from preserving the perfect sanctity of his flat whites made with the milk of a single herd. If its the dedication to total ingredient purity that makes the staff so rude I would rather they got their milk from Lidl around the corner.

Just to thanks for the reviews guys we ve been striving to be a leader and more progressive in where we source the food . Im hoping on bringing on a few more farms improving the kitchen and introduce an outside coffee cart look out for our opening of are bakery in February in Broadway market , and a farm box scheme also Im off to Cornwall on monday to get an exclusive on the real cornish ice cream from Roskillys Farm in redruth were also going alot more veggie .
Thanks for all your kind words
Cheers Rob Dom Luke Brett Jenna and all the team x

Love it. Come here most Sundays or my coffee and brekkie - never had to wait long for my food but then I always head in before 10am. Its simple, great tasting food and that's what I want on a Sunday morning. More than happy with the pricing which is reasonable considering the quality of the ingredients.

We travel across London for pavilion - our favourite place to come for breakfast. The croissants are the most delicious I have ever tasted (made in a railway arch bakery in east London by an artisan baker I was told), and the granola and honeycomb butter pancakes are incredible. Fry up is good for a hangover too.It is clear they are passionate about sourcing their food ethically and it is top quality (square mile coffee, milk from farm in Kent). The staff are knowledgeable and friendly too. I don't mind about the lake in fact I quite like seeing the developments each week! I love how I get different fruit on top of my delicious granola as the seasons change (figs, banana and blackberries this week). It never takes longer than 5 mins to arrive, even when are incredibly busy. Highly recommend this gem!

I visited the cafe for lunch on bank holiday Monday - nice busy vibe. Had salad with the best smoked salmon ever. Lovely mixed tomatoes - I can tell that great quality ingredients are used. Also tried a latte - very good coffee and yummy cakes that regularly change, so there is always a tasty surprise waiting. Staff often seem a bit distracted however. Can't wait for the lake to return!

We live round the corner and would love if this place was the nice little neighourhood cafe it wants to be - unfortunately, the wait for even the simplest of dishes is far, far too long. If comparing asymmetrical haircuts and ironic shoes with other trustafarians whilst dodging the thronging thurstons, harpers and jocastas if your thing then you will feel right at home here. Also too expensive.